U.S. Rep. Ron Barber is fired up.
The Democratic congressman, often described as quiet and unassuming, is animated on Oct. 9 in front of a crowd of seniors at a Tucson YMCA, where he’s rallying them in preparation for get-out-the-vote efforts now that Election Day is just weeks away.

With the hotly contested primary elections in Arizona’s legislative districts over, the vast majority of seats in the Legislature are essentially decided. Most districts are heavily dominated by one political party, making the November election a mere formality.

The Arizona Democratic Party and a conservative lobbyist are alleging in separate complaints filed with the Citizens Clean Elections Commission that Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal used state resources for campaigning.

When Arizona House Speaker Andy Tobin entered the race for Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, the Republican establishment breathed a collective sigh of relief.
They finally had a strong candidate who could take on one of the most vulnerable Democrats in Congress, Ann Kirkpatrick, in November.